Holding means for the sliding sides of cribs.



c. VALLONE.

HOLDING MEANS FOR THE SLIDING SIDES 0F CRIBS. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25.I915.

'1; 1 79,685. Patented A r 18, 1916.

CHARLES VALLONE,

TUBING COMPANY,

OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB- TO BARCALO MANUFAC OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

HOLDING MEANS FOR THE SLIDING SIDES OF CRIBS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

Application filed March 25, 1915. Serial No. 16,929.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES VALLoNE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Holding Means for the SlidingSides of Cribs, of which the followi ing is a specification.

, confining a child in the portions thereof with clutches or deviceswhich cooperate with the guides for the sliding sides for holding thesides up in the position to which they are raised.

One object of this invention is to provide means of practical anddesirable construclower the side.

tion whereby the clutches at the opposite ends of the side can bereadily operated by one hand, so that it is only necessary to use onehand to raise and secure or release and Thus a person holding a child inone arm can operate the side with the other hand without having to laydown the child.

Another object is to provide a holding or a securing mechanism for theside which is of simple and inexpensive construction, is con venient foroperation, is not cumbersome, and does not detract from the neatappearance of the crib. I

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a cribembodying a bottom frame B or and its guides.

the invention. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional elevation, on anenlarged scale, of the upper portion of one of the sliding sides Fig. 3is a sectional plan view thereof in line 3-3, Fig. 2. Fig. l is a detailsection in line 4-4, Fig. 2.

A A represent the end frames of a childs crib or bed, said frames beingconnected by by horizontal side rails in any usual or suitable manner,and G is one of the vertically sliding side frames or railings of thecrib. A metal crib is shown in the drawings in which each side or siderailing C consists of upper and lower horizontal rails c and 0 connectedby spaced vertical rods 0 and is arranged to slide up and down onvertical guide rods D which are suitably secured at their upper andlower ends, as by brackets (Z, to the end frames, and pass through guideholes or eyes d at the ends of the upper and lower rails of the sideframe. The crib as thus far described is of a construction commonlyemployed in metal cribs. The top rail 0 of the side consists preferablyof a metal tube.

E E represent holding devices or clutches arranged at the end portionsof the top rail 0 of the side and slidably engaging the guide rods D forholding the side C when raised. Each of the clutchesshown consists of alever which extends lengthwise above the top rail and is movablyconnected at its inner ends thereto to swing toward and from the railand is provided with a hole 6 through which the adjacent guide rod Dpasses. The hole e is of such size and shape as to allow the lever toslip on the guide rod and permit the side to be raised or lowered whenthe outer end of the lever is moved toward the top rail, and to grip therod and prevent the lever and side from sliding downwardly thereon whenthe lever is in an inclined position, as best shown in Fig. 2. The leveris providedat its inner end with ears or lugs e which straddle the toprail and are connected by a pin or rivet f which extends throughelongated slots f in the top. rail. A spring 9 connected to the innerend of the lever and extending into a hole 9 in the top rail normallyholds the lever in the inclined position shown in Fig. 2, in which itgrips the guide rod. When the side C is raised the clutch levers willyield downwardly or toward the top rail against the action of thesprings g, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, far enough to slip onthe guide rods, and the side can therefore be slid upwardly on the guiderods without the necessity of actuating the clutches by hand. When theside is released the clutch levers will assume their inclined positionunder the action of the springs g and the frictional contact of thelevers with'the guide rods, and the levers will grip the guide rods andhold the side against downward movement in the position to which it israised. The side cannot be lowered unless the clutches are released bymovingthe free ends-of the clutch levers toward the'top rail.

For thus actuating or releasing, the clutches to permit the lowering of,the side the following means are preferably employed: H H represent twolevers or handles which are arranged at opposite sides of one of thevertical rods 0 of the side to which they are suitably pivoted, as by arivet 71. passing through the rod 0 and through holes in the lower endsof the levers which are disposed respectively at the inner and outersides ofthe rod. The alevers extend upwardly from their pivotalconnection and their upper ends, which project into the tubular top rail0 through holes lb in the bottom thereof, are connected to the adjacentor inner ends of two bars, links or, the like I, which extend lengthwlsein the;

top rail. One of these links I is connected at-its opposite or outer endto the cross pm 7" of the clutch lever E at one end of the side.

and the other link I is similarly connected to the clutch lever at theopposite end of the side. As shown, the upper ends of the levers orhandles H engage loosely in holes or eyes 2' in the inner ends ofthelinks I, this 'connectionenabling the ready assembling of the parts;and the upper portions of the levers are bent outwardly and upwardly,thus affording a comfortable desirable hold for the hand. By pressingthe levers or handles H toward each other the links I will be drawninwardly and swing the clutch levers to their released position, thuspermitting the movement of the side on the guide rods D. The clutch leversE shown I tend to swing to their gripping position by frictional contactwith the guide rods when, it is attempted to lower the side and theywill bind tighter as the downward. pressure is increased. Very lightsprings g can therefore be used with theclutches and these light springsenable the operating levers to be actuated with very little'exertion.

The levers or handles H arranged as described can be graspedand'operated by one hand to release the two clutches E at theoppositeends of the side, and as the'levers,

or handles are located substantially mid way between the ends of theside, they con stitute a handleordevice by means of which the side canbe convenientlyand easily.

raised and lowered by the hand grasping the levers, so that it is notnecessary to use both hands either in raising or lowering the side. Theoperating links .or connections from the clutch levers to the operatinghan-' dles are concealed within the tubular top rail of the side, andthe clutches are inconspicuous, While the operating levers or handlesconstructed and arranged as shown lend an ornamental appearance to theside, so that the holding or securing means do not detract from the neatappearance of the-crib.

and'still'be within the Whilethe particular construction shown anddescribed is desirable, the invention is not necessarily limited theretoas both the clutchesv and operating levers or handles could beofdifferent form or construction intent and spirit .of the invention. I

I claim as my inventioni 1. The combination. of a crib side, guides onwhich the same is arranged to slide, clutches cooperating with saidguides for holding the side from downward move-' ment, clutch operatinglevers pivoted on said side between the ends and below the top thereofand extending upwardly from their pivots in position to be actuated byone hand, and a connection from each'of said levers above clutches.

2. The combination of a crib atubular rail, arranged to slide, clutchesat the ends of its pivot to one of said side having said railcooperating with said guides forholding the side from downward movement,

clutch-operating levers pivoted on said side guides onwhich the side isbetween the ends thereof and below said tubular rail, andconnectionsbetween'said I operating levers andsaid clutches arrangedwithin said tubular rail.

3. The combination of a crib a tubular rail, guides on which the side isarranged to slide, clutches at the ends of said rail cooperating withsaid guides for holding the side from downward movement, clutchoperatinglevers pivoted at their lower ends on said side below said side havingtubular rail \viththeir upper ends project ing into said rail, andconnections insaid tubular rail between said levers andsaid clutches.

4.. The combination with a cribv side andguiderods adjacent to the endsof said side; on which the side is arranged to slide up and down, offriction clutches'mounted on the end portions of said side to swing 'vertically' and cooperating with said guide;

rods to frictionally hold the side indifferent" positions ef-adjustment, each of said clutches comprising a. lever extendinglengthwisevalongthe side'in'the vertical plane thereof andhaving a holethrough whichthe ad-" jacent guide rod passes, clutch-operating meansarranged between the ends of the side and connected to the clutches,"and springs for moving said clutches to rods.

5. The combinationwith a crib side having ahorizontal rail and guiderods adjagrip the guide cent tothe ends of said side on which the sideis arranged to slide up and 'down,.of

clutches mounted on the end portions of said side and cooperating withsaid guide rods to hold theside from movement, each ofsaid clutchescomprising a lever eXtend ing lengthwise along said horizontal rail andhaving ears projecting from the sides Witness my hand this 23rd day ofMarch,

thereon? which straddle said rail and are 1915.

mova y connected thereto to permit the clutch to grip and release theguide rod, CHARLES VALLONE' clutch operating means located between theWitnesses:

ends of said side, and connections from the F. ANDERSON,

sameto the lever ears of said clutches. A. W. KERTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Iatents,

Washington, D. 0."

